EU to increase spending on cross-border cooperation with Ukraine, Moldova at expense of programs with Russia, Belarus

MINSK. June 7 (Interfax) - The European Commission proposes to transfer 26.2 million euros of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation instrument, originally planned for 2021-2027 Interreg NEXT programmes with Russia and Belarus, to the same programmes with Ukraine and Moldova, the EC said in a press release.

"As a result, four cross-border Interreg programmes involving Ukraine and Moldova, Hungary/Slovakia/Romania/Ukraine, Poland/Ukraine, Romania/Moldova, Romania/Ukraine - and two transnational programmes - the Danube Transnational Programme and Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin - will benefit from 68% increased funding for the year 2022," it said.

"Concretely, this funding may support the development of health services, reinforce institutional capacity of the Ukrainian and Moldovan public authorities, develop education and research projects, or finance social inclusion schemes and job training programmes for refugees," the EC said.

The European Commission suspended cooperation with Russia and Belarus in the European Neighborhood Instrument cross-border cooperation programs (ENI CBC) and in the Interreg Baltic Sea region program in March 2022.